Kalahari
Namib

Meerkat
These burrowing animals live in family groups in the deserts of southern Africa. Meerkat groups live in underground burrows that are made up of many tunnels. Meerkat tunnels always have more than one way to get in! If danger is close, the meerkats dash for the nearest entrance.

Family is very important to meerkats. Each member of the group keeps a look out during the hunt for their favorite foods ... spiders and insects. This makes it hard for predators to launch a surprise attack.

Another advantage to living in groups is that there are many "moms" to watch out for the young. This allows adult meerkats to hunt without having to worry about their young.

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Chihuahuan
Great Basin
Mojave
Sonoran

Pronghorn
These desert creatures love open areas. They live in the open areas and bajadas of the North American deserts. Pronghorn are herbivores. They eat desert grasses, leaves, and cacti.

Pronghorn are the fastest animal in North America. When they need to, they can travel as fast as 60 miles per hour.

Because they live in open areas, the pronghorn's only defenses are speed and sight. In addition to being fast, they also are able to detect movement up to 4 miles away. Noticing movement that far away allows them to be wary of their predators.

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Atacama
Chihuahuan
Great Basin
Mojave
Sonoran

Puma
Pumas, cougars, and mountain lions ... oh my! Actually, these are all names that are used for the same animal! The name used depends upon where you are.

Pumas are carnivorous hunters. They like to hunt in areas that are not inhabited or used by humans. Today, most of these areas are in the mountains.

Pumas also hunt in a specific territory. They spend their nights (and some days) looking for large mammals like deer. However, they are not too picky. They will eat smaller animals if they catch them!

When a puma is stalking its prey, it will travel a long distance if necessary. The cry of this big cat sounds a lot like a scream and can be very scary!

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Australian

Red Kangaroo
The large, powerful feet of the red kangaroo move it swiftly across the deserts of Australia. It uses it long tail for balance. Moving quickly is a good thing when the dingo is your predator!

Red Kangaroos are marsupials. This means that their young are born live, but not ready to be in the world yet. So, red kangaroo moms keep their young (joey) in a pouch for a time after they are born.

These desert dwellers stay in the shade during they day and hunt for food at night. They eat grasses and other plants.

Red kangaroos have a unique adaptation. Female roos can mate again immediately after giving birth. So, while one joey is growing inside its mother's pouch, another joey is waiting to begin growing. This adaptation allows the red kangaroo to repopulate quickly after times of drought.

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Red Velvet Mite
This flashy desert mite is not an insect. It's actually related to spiders and scorpions.

The red velvet mite, like some other desert animals uses bright coloring to warn predators that it's not wise to take a bit. Bright coloring usually means that an animal doesn't taste good or is poisonous.

These desert mites are active after a good rain. The rains bring out their favorite food ... termites. As the desert dries again, they become inactive until the next rain.

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Chihuahuan
Mojave
Sonoran

Roadrunner
Beep-beep! No, this is not the cartoon Road Runner. It's the real thing! Like the cartoon, the roadrunner races along desert roads (if surprised by a car) ... until it's had enough and darts into the bushes!

Roadrunners are more comfortable on the ground than they are in the air. They can travel at speeds up to 15 miles (24 kilometers) per hour. Although they prefer to keep their feet on the ground, roadrunners can fly.

When you are running that fast, steering is important. The roadrunner uses its long tail to make sharp turns and to steer its way around the desert.

Roadrunner nests can be found in low trees or in clumps of cacti. When they leave their nest to hunt, roadrunners look for insects and small animals like mice and lizards.

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Chihuahuan
Great Basin
Mojave
Sonoran

Scorpion
These arachnids have a painful sting. Although it is not deadly to humans, it is bad news for insects and small lizards. A bit of venom from the scorpion's tail, overpowers its prey! This venom is also used to help protect the scorpion from becoming another animal's dinner.

Scorpions have other tools as well. They have 2 pincers, 2 claws, and 4 legs. The pincers and claws help them grab their prey and defend themselves from owls and others looking for dinner!

When scorpions are born, they spend the first 15 days or so riding on their mother's back. After these 15 days and 1 shedding of their skin, they are off on their own!

If you are looking for a way to find scorpions near you, get a blacklight. You see, under this light, scorpions glow!

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Chihuahuan
Great Basin
Mojave
Sonoran

Tarantula Hawk
This hawk is not a bird. It's an insect. This desert wasp loves to eat nectar and grows to be about 1 1/2 inches (3.8 mm) long.

The amazing thing about this wasp is the effort it goes through to lay its eggs! Before laying her egg, the female tarantula hawk must find and sting a tarantula or trap door spider. Once the spider is dead, the female digs a burrow and drags the spider into it. Then it lays 1 egg on the spider and buries it. When the egg hatches, it has all the food it needs!

Tarantula hawks are also found in tropical areas of the world.

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Chihuahuan
Great Basin
Mojave
Sonoran

Turkey Vulture
Vultures are found all over the world. In fact, some species of vulture lives on all of the continents except Antarctica and Australia!

Vultures are birds of prey. They are carnivores. They are different from most birds of prey because they don't search for living animals to hunt. Instead, they eat dead and decaying animals.

Vultures are important to the ecosystem of the desert. They help clean up after other animals. This makes them an important part of the food chain!

Throughout the world, there are 22 species of vulture. Not all vultures live in desert areas.

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Great Basin
Mojave
Sonoran

Woodrat
The woodrat is very, very good at walking on spiny cacti without getting hurt! Walking on cacti is an important skill for woodrats because they eat their stems and roots. They also eat the pods of yucca plants, berries, seeds, and leaves. All of these foods give the woodrat enough water to survive.

Woodrats make their homes in the abandoned burrows of squirrels or kangaroo rats. When they move in, they do a little bit of redecorating for safety. They build up the entrance of with cactus spines and sticks!

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Desert Journal #5

Click on the cactus to download your journal page. Print the page.

Have fun!!!